British tech tycoon Mike Lynch, often compared to Microsoft’s Bill Gates and Apple’s Steve Jobs, was found dead after a luxury yacht sank off the coast of Sicily, BBC reports.
The yacht, called Bayesian, went down during a sudden storm near the village of Porticello, leaving six people dead. Sadly, Mike Lynch’s 18-year-old daughter, Hannah, is still missing.
According to BBC, 22 people were on board, including Lynch’s wife, Angela Bacares, who survived along with 14 others, including a one-year-old child.
However, several notable figures, including Jonathan Bloomer, chairman of Morgan Stanley International, his wife Judy, and Clifford Chance lawyer Chris Morvillo and his wife Neda, were also among the deceased.
BBC highlights that Italian authorities believe the missing woman, likely Hannah, is still inside the sunken yacht, which lies 50 meters deep on the seabed. Rescuers describe the recovery operation as challenging, with divers limited to short shifts underwater.
Mike Lynch was a prominent figure in the UK tech scene, known for co-founding the tech firm Autonomy, which he sold to Hewlett-Packard for $11 billion in 2011.
BBC explains that this trip was meant to be a celebration after Lynch’s recent acquittal in a lengthy legal battle in the US over fraud charges.
Tributes have poured in, with many, including BBC’s director general Tim Davie, calling Lynch a key figure in the tech world.
BBC shares that Lynch’s impact was widely recognized, and he was seen as a visionary in the industry, earning the nickname “the Steve Jobs of Britain.”
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c3w65egn42no